Water Retention and Rapid Weight Gain Caused by Testosterone

[nakedjoe99]

What benefits do u feel like ur getting from 50mg or deca? It’s a pretty low dose so I’m jc

Good question. I actually stared taking 50mg nandrolone per week with the intention of slowly increasing to a dosage more substantial but still therapeutic such as maybe 100mg per week. Since I have kidney disease, I am being very cautions with my dose protocol and relying on my bloodwork (approximately every 3 months) to gage any warranted increase in either testosterone or nandrolone. After my diagnosis, I came down from 500 mg test/week, along with other various compounds, to 125mg. I slowly titrated my test dose over the course of a year to 250mg based on my bloodwork results. The addition of the nandrolone is fairly resent and just haven't increased the dosage of it yet.

I do notice minimal benefits such as decreased shoulder pain from a labrum tear and things of that nature. I also noticed a considerable decrease in sex drive. Funny how such a low dose can make such a big difference.

 

[Gman86]

Good question. I actually stared taking 50mg nandrolone per week with the intention of slowly increasing to a dosage more substantial but still therapeutic such as maybe 100mg per week. Since I have kidney disease, I am being very cautions with my dose protocol and relying on my bloodwork (approximately every 3 months) to gage any warranted increase in either testosterone or nandrolone. After my diagnosis, I came down from 500 mg test/week, along with other various compounds, to 125mg. I slowly titrated my test dose over the course of a year to 250mg based on my bloodwork results. The addition of the nandrolone is fairly resent and just haven't increased the dosage of it yet.

I do notice minimal benefits such as decreased shoulder pain from a labrum tear and things of that nature. I also noticed a considerable decrease in sex drive. Funny how such a low dose can make such a big difference.

Are u saying ur attributing the decrease in sex drive to the nandrolone?

Did u ever need to control E2 and/ or prolactin when using much higher dosages?

 

[nakedjoe99]

Are u saying ur attributing the decrease in sex drive to the nandrolone?

Did u ever need to control E2 and/ or prolactin when using much higher dosages?

Yes, I would attribute my decrease in sex drive to nandrolone. Prior to my use of it, my sex drive was very noticeably higher. Also, coupled with this is noticeably weaker erections.

I've never needed to control estrogen much. I can think of a handful of times in the past 12 years since using exogenous hormones that I've taken arimadex to alleviate a slight increase in nipple size due to a sudden large increase of testosterone usage: say from 500 to 750 mg. Or to be extra "peeled" when dancing on stage (I used to be a male dancer).

It's also worth noting that I do have slight gynecomastia from puberty. I remember being a kid and having severely sensitive nipples. My mom would put band aids on my nipples so I could wear a shirt to school. It is still there and comes and goes a little depending on diet and ambient temperature. But it is not a severe case.

Earlier bloodwork did reveal higher than reference range values of estrogen but nothing really to be very concerned about.

 

[Gman86]

Yes, I would attribute my decrease in sex drive to nandrolone. Prior to my use of it, my sex drive was very noticeably higher. Also, coupled with this is noticeably weaker erections.

I've never needed to control estrogen much. I can think of a handful of times in the past 12 years since using exogenous hormones that I've taken arimadex to alleviate a slight increase in nipple size due to a sudden large increase of testosterone usage: say from 500 to 750 mg. Or to be extra "peeled" when dancing on stage (I used to be a male dancer).

It's also worth noting that I do have slight gynecomastia from puberty. I remember being a kid and having severely sensitive nipples. My mom would put band aids on my nipples so I could wear a shirt to school. It is still there and comes and goes a little depending on diet and ambient temperature. But it is not a severe case.

Earlier bloodwork did reveal higher than reference range values of estrogen but nothing really to be very concerned about.

What’s ur plan to improve ur sex drive and erections?

 

[nakedjoe99]

What’s ur plan to improve ur sex drive and erections?

Too be very honest with you, I don't really have a plan. I am actually kind of enjoying not being a sexual tyrannosaurus like I have been for the past 30 years haha. It's a nice break. I can still perform, don't get me wrong, but I'm just not thinking about it 18 hours a day. Frees my mind up for other activities...

I can always just stop the nandrolone if need be.

 

[Graham]

Too be very honest with you, I don't really have a plan. I am actually kind of enjoying not being a sexual tyrannosaurus like I have been for the past 30 years haha. It's a nice break. I can still perform, don't get me wrong, but I'm just not thinking about it 18 hours a day. Frees my mind up for other activities...

I can always just stop the nandrolone if need be.

Be careful with nandrolone, you dosages are low so it should be ok but some peoples sex drive never comes back fully

 

[xqfq]

My last GFR measurement was 84.7 and my creatinine was 1. All of my levels were withing range except for my albumin which was 3.4, and my 24hr protein was 5.3 grams. Those are my only outstanding numbers which kind of go hand-in-hand since I'm peeing out so much protein.

What's your history of your eGFR and creatinine numbers? You posted one in an earlier comment that was relatively normal, which is why I'm wondering.

RE: spironolactone, ask your doctor about switching to eplerenone. Eplerenone has much less androgen receptor interference. There is also a new drug called Finerenone which may be of interest. It has no androgen receptor interaction at all.

Also, did you continue to notice the edema when you were on lower doses of hormones?

 

[Nelson Vergel]

I agree with @xqfq

Eplerenone or amiloride are two mild potassium sparing diuretics that have worked for me.

Post #2: Water Retention Caused by Testosterone May Have Nothing to Do with Estradiol

Post #17: How many of you are on diuretics for water retention on TRT?


I like amiloride best since it is a non-MRA (mineralcortocoid receptor antagonist) which has less negative effect on erectile function. Read post #3 here: Hypertension medications and erectile dysfunction

 

[nakedjoe99]

What's your history of your eGFR and creatinine numbers? You posted one in an earlier comment that was relatively normal, which is why I'm wondering.

RE: spironolactone, ask your doctor about switching to eplerenone. Eplerenone has much less androgen receptor interference. There is also a new drug called Finerenone which may be of interest. It has no androgen receptor interaction at all.

Also, did you continue to notice the edema when you were on lower doses of hormones?

Me eGFR has been as low as in the 30s and as high as in the eighties. It all depends on what my creatinine is at the time. I train very intensely 6 days a week and and do 1.5 - 2 hours of cardio 7 days a week. If I get bloodwork done without taking about 5 days off, my creatinine can be as high as 1.7 - 1.8. But if I take time off of training before the bloodwork, it can get down to around 1.0. Its hard for me to not go to the gym and take that time off as training is my livelihood.

The anti androgenic effect from the spironolactone is one of the reasons I am prescribed to it as androgens are hard on the kidneys. It also reduces my proteinuria which is the main reason for taking it.

The lower doses of the hormones were not as hard on my kidneys and therefore did not contribute as much edema as when I increased the dosage; It was definitely dosage depended. Nonetheless, the edema was always present to some degree until I got my blood pressure under control and started the spironolactone. The edema was a direct cause of the protein I was losing in my urine.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

If I get bloodwork done without taking about 5 days off, my creatinine can be as high as 1.7 - 1.8. But if I take time off of training before the bloodwork, it can get down to around 1.0. Its hard for me to not go to the gym and take that time off as training is my livelihood.

Sorry if we have discussed this. Have you got a cystatin C test ?